Do You Really Need a Social Media Manager or Just Clearer Business Goals?

I see it all the time.

A post goes up: “Looking for a social media manager.”

That’s it. No context. No goal. No clue.

Just a job title, thrown at the internet as it explains itself.

But here’s the thing.

“Social media manager” isn’t a role. It’s a bucket. And everyone pours something different into it.

Some people think it means posting three times a week.
Others think it means replying to comments.
Some expect strategy, ads, content, video, design, copywriting, analytics, growth, leads and sales.
All for the price of a coffee subscription.

That’s not a role. That’s confusion.

Before you look for a social media manager, ask yourself one simple question:

What do I actually want social media to do for my business?

If you can’t answer that, hiring someone won’t help. You’ll just outsource the uncertainty.

Social media doesn’t fix unclear thinking. It amplifies it.

If your goal is awareness, say that.
If it’s footfall, say that.
If it’s leads, bookings, sales, say that.

Then break the work down.

Content creation is a job.
Community management is a job.
Strategy is a job.
Paid ads is a job.
Analytics is a job.

Sometimes one person can do a few of these well. Often, they can’t do all of them well at the same time.

And that’s okay.

The problem isn’t hiring help. The problem is not knowing what help you actually need.

Stop asking for a “social media manager”.

Start asking for outcomes.

The role will become obvious after that.